Generality
Bellyache in pregnancy can be considered as a rather common symptom.
It appears following causes of different nature that may vary depending on the period of gestation in which it occurs.
However, in general and within certain limits, abdominal pain during pregnancy is considered normal. However, when it occurs in association with other symptoms of more or less high intensity and severity, it could be a sign of undiagnosed disorders requiring medical intervention. In light of what has just been said and given the delicacy of the gestation period, in the event of abdominal pain during pregnancy, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or your gynecologist, avoiding any type of self-diagnosis.
What is that
What is Pregnancy Pain?
When we talk about belly-ache in pregnancy, or more simply about "stomach ache", we usually want to indicate a generic pain in the intestine. However, more often than not, this wording is used in a much wider way - even if in a not exactly correct way - to indicate a generic pain localized in any point of the abdomen (for instance, from the stomach up to the lower abdomen) .
In this article, therefore, all the causes that can give rise to abdominal pain during pregnancy, intended as pain localized in different points of the abdomen, will be taken into consideration.
Causes
What are the Causes of Pregnancy Pain?
The causes of abdominal pain in pregnancy can be multiple and can vary depending on the period of gestation during which the symptom occurs.
In some cases, abdominal pain during pregnancy can be considered a normal symptom, for example, due to the physiological changes that take place in the woman's body; in other situations, on the other hand, it could be a sign of more or less serious basic pathological conditions.
Therefore, in the following, all possible causes of abdominal pain during pregnancy will be briefly explained.
Non-Pathological Causes
Bellyache in pregnancy caused by causes of a non-pathological nature sees physiological and normal changes that occur within the woman's body during this period as triggers. In fact, the organism changes gradually and constantly, following all the various stages of fetal development. These changes certainly do not go unnoticed by the mother who - in addition to noticing them visually - perceives a series of more or less accentuated symptoms, including a stomach ache.
Beginning of Pregnancy and First Quarter
In the very early stages, the appearance of a slight stomach ache in pregnancy is a completely normal phenomenon and is often associated with implant losses . The type of pain that is perceived is very similar to menstrual cramps, therefore, it is located in the area of the lower abdomen . A similar stomach ache is due to the growth of the uterus which, after conception, begins to prepare for the imminent pregnancy.
Second Trimester of Pregnancy
As the pregnancy proceeds, the woman's body continues to change. In this phase, it is possible to perceive the so-called pain of the round ligament, caused by the lengthening of the ligaments that support the uterus. It is a pain located in the lower abdomen that can be cramp- like, or present as a dull pain .
In addition to this, other common causes of abdominal pain during pregnancy during the second trimester are:
- Constipation: constipation is a fairly common condition in future mothers, it is due to the increase in female hormone levels which typically occurs in this period of a woman's life and, in particular, to the increase in the amount of circulating progesterone . In addition to this, constipation can be favored or worsened by the uterus which, as it thickens, begins to exert mechanical pressure on the intestine. At the same time, nutrition can also play an important role in the appearance of the condition in question. However, the presence of constipation can lead to the appearance of a stomach ache.
- Bloating and intestinal gas : the presence of abdominal bloating and intestinal gas is often the cause of stomach pain during pregnancy and a feeling of fullness.
- Diarrhea : as well as constipation and the formation of intestinal gas, diarrhea is also one of the gastrointestinal disorders that most commonly occur during pregnancy. It can originate from hormonal, food or pathological causes. In any case, it is always accompanied by abdominal pain during pregnancy.
Third Quarter and End of Pregnancy
In addition to causes such as diarrhea and constipation (in this case, aldosterone is responsible) which can persist or occur even during the third trimester, in the last months of gestation it is very likely that the stomach ache in pregnancy can be triggered by:
- Braxton Hicks contractions : abdominal pain is caused by repeated contraction of the muscular tissues of the uterus that is preparing for childbirth. However, such contractions do not cause any dilation and are not an indication of imminent labor. In fact, they can appear as early as the sixth month of gestation.
- Beginning of labor : the stomach pain that is perceived at the beginning of labor is caused by regular and rather painful contractions, a sign of the imminent birth.
Did you know that ...
Sometimes, a stomach ache in pregnancy can represent the somatization of stress conditions or states of agitation that the future mother may encounter. Pregnancy, in fact, is a very special period, full of emotions but also of concerns that could lead the pregnant woman to manifest a state of un-pathological restlessness.
Pathological Causes
Among the pathological causes that can give rise to abdominal pain during pregnancy we find:
- Infections of the gastrointestinal tract or urinary tract (bacterial, viral or caused by parasites).
- Gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease. In this regard, we recall that the symptomatology of the aforementioned pathologies, if present already before gestation, can be aggravated by the latter.
- Ectopic pregnancy : among the various symptoms caused by ectopic pregnancy is also the appearance of abdominal pain.
- Pre-eclampsia which causes various symptoms, such as abdominal pain and the so-called "bar epigastric pain".
- Premature release of the placenta, cause of abdominal cramps.
- Spontaneous abortion which gives rise to a cramp-like pelvic pain.
Clearly, similar conditions require the indispensable intervention of the doctor and / or hospitalization, as appropriate.
Other causes
Other possible causes of abdominal pain during pregnancy are:
- Food intolerances and allergies;
- Food poisoning;
- Hypersensitivity towards integrators taken during gestation.
Associated symptoms
What symptoms can occur in association with belly-ache in pregnancy?
The possible symptoms that may accompany a stomach ache in pregnancy depend substantially on the cause causing the symptom.
When abdominal pain in pregnancy is caused by changes occurring within the woman's body, it tends to be not overly intense and is accompanied by other typical symptoms of gestation, such as nausea or vomiting in the early periods, mood swings, insomnia, etc. (for more information, read also: Symptoms of Pregnancy).
When, on the other hand, abdominal pain in pregnancy originates from causes of a pathological nature, it usually occurs in a more serious form and in association with a typical symptomatology of the cause that triggered it (for example, blood loss in the event of a miscarriage, fever in the presence of infections, etc.).
When to worry
When to worry and when to go to the doctor?
As we have seen, a stomach ache in pregnancy is not always an indicator of pathologies or conditions that are risky for the life of the fetus or mother, sometimes it could simply derive from the completely natural changes that occur in the body of the mother who is preparing to welcome the fetus following its development.
Despite this, if you experience any symptoms of any kind - including a stomach ache - it is always good to consult your gynecologist or your doctor.
The consultation with these health figures is even more necessary when the stomach ache in pregnancy is in a severe and persistent form (ie it does not tend to disappear within a short time) and is associated with symptoms that may lead to suspect the presence of conditions of potentially dangerous bases for the mother and / or the fetus, such as:
- Temperature;
- Blood loss or other unusual vaginal discharge;
- Fainting and / or dizziness;
- Hypotension;
- Pain during urination (could be a sign of the presence of urinary tract infections);
- Very strong pain localized laterally in the lower abdomen (it could be a sign of a possible ectopic pregnancy);
- Vomiting (could be caused by intolerances or food poisoning).
Those listed above, of course, are just some of the possible "abnormal symptoms" that can accompany a stomach ache in pregnancy. In case of doubts and concerns, the importance of medical consultation is reiterated.
Treatments and Treatments
Treatment and Treatments Against the Belly-induced Pregnancy of a Pathological Nature
Clearly, the treatment of abdominal pain during pregnancy caused by pathological conditions depends essentially on the cause and its consequent resolution.
In the presence of infectious, gastrointestinal or pathological conditions such as pre-eclampsia, the doctor could decide - if extremely necessary and after a careful evaluation of the risk / benefit ratio - to submit the pregnant woman to a drug therapy . The choice to undertake or not a pharmacological treatment is strongly influenced by the type of active ingredient that must be used, by its safety during gestation and by the trimester in which the pregnant woman is.
In other situations, on the other hand - as in the case of an ectopic pregnancy or spontaneous abortion - surgical treatment may be necessary.
In any case, in the presence of abdominal pains during pregnancy due to causes of a pathological nature, the doctor will establish, case by case and after accurate diagnosis, which treatment is best suited to each woman.
Remedies
Remedies and Useful Tips to Relieve Belly-induced Pregnancy by Non-Pathological Nature
To alleviate abdominal pain during pregnancy that is not due to pathological causes but physiological, it can be useful:
- Assume a relaxed or otherwise relaxed sitting position;
- Take a few steps or a short walk;
- Try to relax as much as possible;
- Take a hot bath.
Since each pregnancy is in itself, it is not said that the aforementioned recommendations prove to be actually useful for each woman.
However, if the stomach ache in pregnancy tends to manifest itself persistently and / or worsens, you must contact your doctor or your gynecologist immediately.
